ToCasino.net Online Casino

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Last November, the residents of the tiny town of Tyre at New York State Thruway Exit 41 voted 114 to 100 against a statewide gambling referendum.

It was a philosophical statement about allowing casino gambling anywhere outside Indian territory in New York state; not a question about building a $350 million casino with 2,000 slot machines, a 200-room hotel, five restaurants and spa with 3.3 million annual visitors in the Seneca County town of 899 residents.

"We never dreamed it would be here," said Catherine Strong, a "no" voter whose family stretches back five generations in Tyre.

Gambling lost in Tyre, but the referendum won all of Seneca County by 55 percent and, more importantly, it passed across New York state by 57 percent of the vote.

Soon after, men were seen surveying a plot of land just north of Thruway, over the bridge from the big Petro gas station. Neighbors started knocking on doors to gossip about what was going on.

Rochester-based Wilmorite wants to build a casino on the 82-acre farm site.

The project pits neighbor against neighbor in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's gamble to create jobs and boost tourism in Upstate New York.

Some business owners and Seneca County elected officials are supporting the casino and its promise of millions of dollars per year in taxes. But homeowners who want to preserve their rural environment have posted anti-casino signs throughout the town.

Wilmorite is about to submit an official application to New York, due June 30, to compete with two other developers for the first non-Indian casino in the Finger Lakes region. The other two proposals are by Traditions at the Glen Resort in Johnson City and Tioga Downs in Nichols, both in the Southern Tier.

The Wilmorite proposal is the closest to Syracuse. It's about 40 minutes away from downtown Syracuse - only five more minutes than driving to the Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone Casino, in Verona.

Earlier this month, Wilmorite's executives got Syracuse's attention because they asked the Onondaga County Legislature for support in exchange for the promise of jobs. Tom Wilmot and his son Paul Wilmot are familiar names in Syracuse because they were once owners of Shoppingtown and Great Northern malls and more recently considered building a racino in Onondaga County.

The Wilmots have said the Seneca County casino would create 1,200 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent jobs with a $50 million annual payroll. If approved, it would be built quickly with a target opening by the end of 2015, according to public records.

Supporters and opponents

The gaming commission is expected to judge the applications with 70 percent of the weight on economic activity and business development factors, 20 percent local impact and support and 10 percent workforce factors, including job impact and employment policy, according to Wilmorite's website.

The race is on for endorsements. Wilmorite lists thumbs up on its website from Seneca County government and business leaders eager for the tax revenue and tourism promotion. The Tyre town board voted unanimously Thursday to support the project.

Bill Martin, co-owner of Montezuma Winery, said he is excited about the prospect of hundreds of tourists staying for the weekend and taking shuttle buses four miles away to his winery and the 16 others on the Cayuga Wine Trail.

The marshy Montezuma Wildlife Refuge takes up about one-third of the town and there are few businesses like his to contribute to the tax base.

"When the casino people came, they said you may be the highest taxpayer in town and I said, 'Hey thanks. Beat me,'" he said.

All around the rural neighborhood, however, homeowners have posted signs in their yards that say "CasiNO! Tyre."

Some of the homes also have signs that say "For Sale."

An opposition group called CasinoFreeTyre formed quickly and 61 residents tried to sue the town board over changes to the zoning law. The case was dismissed.

Opponent Strong said the residents' objections have fallen off of government leaders "like water off a duck's back."

"I think they've just fallen hook, line and sinker for everything Wilmorite proposes," Strong said.

Graves on the site

When Strong looks at that rural stretch of Route 414 where the casino is planned, she remembers the apple orchard she and her late husband farmed across the road. She points to the Amish farm in operation there now and the yellow sign that cautions drivers to watch for horses and buggies.

And she points out an island of trees and grass in the center of the vacant field where the casino would go.

That's the Weaver family cemetery, where at least four of her late husband's ancestors are buried. The property has been in her husband's family since 1801, when military tracts were given to soldiers as payment for services in the Revolutionary War. A will written by her husband's great-grandfather sets aside half an acre to be occupied as a burying ground "to remain sacred."

To build a casino, Wilmorite had to decide whether to dig up and move the bodies of some of the first settlers of the town of Tyre. After hiring a consultant, the developers have decided to preserve the graves in a park on the casino property, said Juris Basens, vice president for gaming operations at Wilmorite.

The town has not been immune to development. It is home to the Petro mega-gas station and is a popular exit off of the New York State Thruway for shopping at the Waterloo Premium Outlets.

But the town's history and rural character have been preserved enough for fifth-generation residents to be disappointed about the possibility of a multi-million dollar resort suddenly moving in next door.

As Strong put it: "What they want to do, it's just not Tyre."

But as Martin, from the winery, said: "Man, if we can stuff a million more cars a day on that road, I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen. Money doesn't come to the town by telephone."

Expanding casinos Upstate

The effort to expand casino gambling in New York started a year ago with a pact Cuomo struck with the Oneida Indian Nation.

In March 2013, Cuomo and Halbritter announced a deal that said the Oneidas' Turning Stone Casino would give 25 percent of its gaming machine revenues to the state in exchange for exclusive rights to run casinos in a 10-county area.

In May, Cuomo signed a similar arrangement with the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Nation that gave them exclusive gaming rights in eight northern counties.

The rest of the state was cut into three regions where gaming could be allowed by non-Indian developers.

In November, voters approved the statewide ballot issue to allow the Legislature to authorize and regulate up to 7 casinos "for the legislated purposes of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools, and permitting local governments to lower property taxes through revenues generated."

Four will be located in Upstate New York. There will be at least one in each of three regions - the Finger Lakes, the Catskills/Hudson Valley and the Capital region. The fourth could go in either of those three regions.

After seven years, the state can start the process to allow three more casinos in the New York City area.

Jobs for Onondaga County

Now that it is excluded from any new casino development, Onondaga County has turned its attention to spending its new windfall from the Oneida Indian Nation.

In January, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and Coumo proposed building an outdoor amphitheater on the western shore of Onondaga Lake, along with improvements to the village of Solvay. It would be paid for with $30 million in state money and borrowing against the county's $2.5 million annual payment from the Turning Stone.
So it was a surprise two weeks ago when the Onondaga County Legislature entertained a resolution to support Wilmorite's proposal two counties away.

Wilmorite President Paul Wilmot and his attorney Shawn Griffin, of Harris Beach, asked legislators for support and told them about the possibility for thousands of jobs for Onondaga residents. They said there are not enough people in the Tyre area to staff the casino.

Onondaga County Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon said he came away from the meeting with the understanding that up to 60 percent of the jobs would go to people who live in Onondaga County after the developer signs a project-labor agreement with construction and hotel worker's unions. (The developer later clarified that 60 percent of the jobs would go through the unions in Syracuse and Rochester.)

Suddenly, the debate over a casino had shifted two counties over.

Tyre residents opposed to the casino filled the benches June 3 at the Onondaga County Legislature chambers.

McMahon pulled the issue from the agenda after it became obvious in a Republican-majority caucus that there was not enough support. Still, he allowed each opponent two minutes to speak.

They testified about pollution, traffic, Amish buggies, gambling addiction and the Weaver family cemetery.

McMahon said the opponents were muddying the issue and arguing for something they have already lost.

Official sees benefits

Robert Hayssen, chairman of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors, said he has been on board with the proposal from the start. Gaming and sales tax collections will benefit the county in addition to the sales tax drawn from the Waterloo outlet mall, he said. The town and county would share a special gaming tax, which is estimated to be $7.8 million in the first year, Basens said. There are no estimates yet for sales or property taxes.

Hayssen said any opposition comes from a small group of neighbors, who also wouldn't like it if a factory or any other commercial development was built there. It is already next to the state Thruway and the developer has gone to great lengths to take the neighborhood into consideration, for example, designing lighting that shines down and not toward the sky, he said.

Hayssen said he had been assured by the developer that the Weaver family burial ground will remain intact. He forwarded a report from a cemetery consultant the developer hired to investigate.

The report said the casino property was willed to Weaver family descendant Jeanne and husband James Leonard, who have signed an option to sell the property to Whitehall 414, a Wilmot company. The Leonards declined to comment for this story. Cemetery Consultant Richard Fishman said the Leonards and Strong are opposed to moving their ancestors' graves.

Fishman recommended redesigning the site to avoid delays because of the opposition. He also suggested the developer include some recognition of the Weaver family as one of the first pioneers in the area.

"It's sad, but that is development," Hayssen said.

Contact Michelle Breidenbach at (315) 470-3186, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or follow on Twitter @mbreidenbach.